"How do you know?" asked Mollie. "I confess I never saw a five hundred
dollar bill all at once before."

"Did you see it in pieces?" asked Grace. "What a lot of money!"

"How many pounds of chocolates would it buy?" asked Amy, with a laugh.

"Don't you dare say chocolate to me!" commanded Grace.

"It is real," went on Betty, who had not spoken since picking up the
money. "There's no doubt of that."

"If findings were keepings you'd be well off," said Mollie. "How lucky
you are!" and sighed.

"Of course I can't keep it," decided Betty. "But I wonder who could
have dropped it?" and she looked up at the railroad bridge over their
heads, as if she might see some one standing there waiting for the
return of the bill.

"What is that paper pinned to it?" asked Grace, as she took hold of it
while Betty held the bank note by the two ends.

"That's so--I forgot to look at that," said the finder. She turned it
over. There was some writing on it. It said:

"_ This is my last five hundred dollar bill--all that is left of my
fortune. This is to remind me that if I don't make good use of this I
don't deserve any more luck. It is make or break with me now! Which
will it be?_"